Train line connector



w. KAISER ET AL TRAiN LINE CONNECTOR Aug. 8, 1939 Original Filed March 4 7.935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Enventor Aug. 8, 1939 w, KAISER ET AL 2,169,068

TRAIN LINE CONNECTOR Original Filed March 4, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Smaeufor bud/1M." Km 62AM fi Kw (Ittorneu Patented Aug. 8, 1939 UNITED STATES FAT NT OFFIQE TRAIN LINE CONNECTOR Original application March 4, 1935, Serial No.

9,156. Divided and this application May 2,

1935, Serial No. 19,348

2 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic train line connectors. One of its objects comprises the provision of connectors of novel construction, presenting the advantage of structural simplicity together with marked efficiency and reliability in the connecting of train lines notwithstanding disalignment of the longitudinal axes of the connectors throughout wide ranges. In this connection, the invention provides for so mounting the connectors with respect to their associated couplers as to facilitate the gathering action and also to enable reduction of the extent of forward projection of the lateral forward wing. A novel and improved means for supporting the connectors is also provided. Other features of the invention will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a connector embodying our invention, in conjunction with an associated coupler shown in broken lines, and part of the connector mounting being shown fragmentarily and other parts omitted.

Figure 2 is a vieW in side elevation showing the connector, the associated coupler, and the means for supporting said connector from said coupler.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the connector.

This application is a division of our U. S. application No. 9,156, filed March l, 1935, now Patent No. 2,003,082.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown at 2 a coupler of the conventional Willison type, having rigid jaws 3, 4, together with a recess 5 intermediate said jaws. The action of such couplersbeing well understood in the art, no description thereof need here be given. It may be further observed that while thepresent inven tion is shown in conjunction with couplers of the Willison type, such is merely for purposes of illustration, and the utility of the invention is not restricted to couplers of any particular type. The connector, designated generally as 6, is supported from coupler 2 by means later to be more specifically described.

The connector 6 comprises a head i having a flat, vertically extending, front face 8, preferably, though not necessarily, rectangular in shape. The vertical center line a of said face 3 intersects the longitudinal center line b of the connector. Projecting from said head I on opposite sides of the face 8, are a pair of arms or wings 9, II]; the wing 9 extending diagonally forwardly, and the wing ll] diagonally rearwardly. Wing 55 is provided with a surface 23 for vertical gathering extending diagonally upwardly and outward- 1y from the bottom surface 24 of the face 3 to a point adjacent the end of said wing. Extending diagonally forwardly from one side of the face 8 is a surface H, which meets the outer or forward surface iii of the wing it and forms therewith a projection or ridge l2. From the opposite side of said face there extends diagonally rearwardly or inwardly a surface it? which merges with the forward surface 9' of the wing 9, at a distance from the center line a of the face 8 equal to the distance of the juncture of surfaces H and it from said center line. Said surface i3 forms with the surface 9' a recess M complemental to said ridge l2 and adapted to receive the ridge or corner 52 of an opposing connector at the same time that the first mentioned ridge l2 fits into the recess i i of said opposing connector. While the face 8 may contain any desired number of openings corresponding to the number of pipes or lines to be joined, such as the air brake line, the signal air, and the steam heating line, only one opening it is shown by way of illustration for communicating with the air brake line.

A third wing or arm I3 projects diagonally downwardly, forwardly, and laterally from the bottom of the face 3. Said arm, having a surface 2! for lateral gathering and a surface 22 for vertical gathering, may conveniently be formed separately from the connector and secured to the bottom of the head 1 by bolts i9 passing through an extension 58 of said arm (Fig. 2), or by welding or in any other suitable manner.

Fitted into a socket in the connector head 1 and secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by pin 25, is a rod 2'. which extends rearwardly from said head. A lug 28 depending from the coupler 2 has secured thereto by bolts 29 a bracket 36, preferably comprising a set of leaf spring elements 3!, extending rearwardly and downwardly from the lug 28. Fastened to the rear end of the leaf spring bracket 31?, through a U-bolt 32 is an angle bracket 33, comprising a plate having horizontal and vertical portions 34, 35. A vertical slot 3 5 in the bracket portion 35 receives vertical keys 3?, 3?, carried by the rod 2?, whereby said rod, and hence the connector, is slidable longitudinally with respect to the bracket 33. The slot 38 provides sumcient clearance with respect to the keys 31, 31 to enable the connector to angle through substantial extents in all directions, both vertically and horizontally, with respect to said bracket; but at the same time prevents rotation of the connector more than a slight amount about its longitudinal axis.

Interposed between washers 38, 39 on rod 2'1 is a spring 4%, which not only assists in supporting the connector but also is compressed whenever the connector is coupled to a mating connector and thereby maintains the connectors in tightly coupled relation. The washer 38 bears against a collar ll pinned or otherwise secured to the rod 21, while the washer 39 is integral with, or fastened to, a sleeve 42 slidable on said rod. Said washer 39 bears against suitable lugs #13 which project forwardly from the bracket element 35 and provide pivot seats about which the rod 21 and assembled parts may turn for vertical and horizontal angling. The sleeve 42 and washer 39 are slotted to receive the vertical keys 3'1, 3] to permit said rod 21 to slide freely with respect to said sleeve and washer. Threaded on the end of the rod 28 is a nut 44 which is adapted to engage the rear face of the bracket element 35 and to thereby retain the connector in position on the bracket 33.

The connector is additionally resiliently supported from the associated coupler 2 by a spring 45, secured at one end to a bolt 46 on the connector head and at its other end to a lug 41 extending laterally from the supporting lug 28. Through the provision of the spring 45, the spring All may be substantially reduced in stiffness, so as to avoid difficulty in coupling the connectors at slow speeds or with light cars.

As shown in Figure l, the bracket 30 diverges laterally and rearwardly from the longitudinal center line 0 of the coupler 2; and the connector is so supported through its springs and the bracket 33 that in the normal position of said connector its longitudinal axis b extends at an angle to the axis c of the coupler. Furthermore, in normal position, the center line b at the face of the connector is laterally off-set a less amount from coupler center line 0 than is said center line b at the bracket 33. The connector center line, in other words, in the normal position of the connector, diverges rearwardly with respect to the coupler center line, from a point on the face of the connector to the rear supporting bracket 33; both the connector face and said supporting bracket being displaced to one side of the coupler center line, and the lateral displacement of the slots 36 of said bracket from said coupler center line being greater than that of the center of the connector face from said coupler center line. This enables the lateral gathering by the connector wing 9 to be accomplished with increased facility, since the arm of the turning moment (i. e., the perpendicular distance from the vertical pivotal axis of the connector in bracket element 323 to the line of action of the force ap plied to said wing 55) is increased. Thereby also the extent of forward projection of the wing 9 may be reduced, due to said increase in moment arm. Off-setting the connector head 1 laterally with respect to the coupler center line 0, permits most normal couplings to be made without requiring the wing Hi to do lateral gathering, thereby greatly reducing wear on this wing.

It is to be noted further that the construction above described enables the Wings 9 and IE) to be of prolonged extent laterally, with the extremities of said wings at all times outside a direct line between the points on brackets 35 at which the connector rods 2'! pivot. As a result, contact between the extremities of the Wings of opposing connectors will serve to bring the same into horizontal alignment without danger of jack knifing or swinging of the connectors into positions transverse to the couplers, with their heads out of alignment.

Also, due to the small ratio of extent of forward projection of the wings to the distance from the connector face 8 to the rear bracket 35, the vertical gathering of the connectors is insured without buckling upwardly or downwardly.

The point of attachment of the spring 45 to the connector head is, as shown in Figure 1, at one side of the connector axis b, as a result of which the connector is, when uncoupled, tilted slightly around said axis to the extent permitted by the keys 31, 31 in cooperation with the sides of the slot 36. When coupling is effected the connector head is rotated back about said axis into a horizontal position. Due to the off-set connection aforesaid between the spring 45 and the connector, the connector head is normally maintained in a definite position about the axis b and it is assured that the ridge l2 of the connector will contact the guiding face 9 of the opposing connector whereby there is avoided the possibility that the ridges I2 of opposing connectors might foul and prevent coupling, as might arise if either of the connector heads were free to rotate in opposite directions about its longitudinal axis. It may be observed that the ridges aforesaid need not extend the full height of the connector face 8. The face 8 of the connector may be slightly cut away as indicated at 48 in the lower right hand corner to prevent accumulation of foreign material on the connector face from interfering with proper engagement with the face of an opposing connector.

As shown at 49, the forwardly extending lateral wing 9 may be provided with an outer extension, the face of which is substantially parallel to the face 8 of the connector. The aforesaid extension 49 further increases the lateral gathering range.

The terms and expressions which we have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and we have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

We claim:

1. In combination, an automatic train line connector having a head including lateral and vertical gathering wings, and a rearwardly extending shank, and a coupler from which said connector is resiliently suspended, said connector being normally disposed entirely at one side of the vertical plane of the longitudinal center line of said coupler with the rear of the connector at a greater distance laterally from said plane than is the forward face of said connector.

2. In combination, an automatic connector having a head including lateral and vertical gathering wings, and a rearwardly extending shank, a bracket secured to a coupler and so connected to said shank that said shank can angle laterally and vertically and move rearwardly relatively thereto, spring means for urging said connector when uncoupled into a predetermined position with respect to said coupler, the connection between said shank and bracket being laterally off-set with respect to the vertical plane of the center line of said coupler, and the center line of the head of said connector being offset laterally with respect to said coupler center line plane but to a lesser extent than the connection between said shank and bracket.

WILHELM KAISER. HANS BALKE. 

